What if Long Distance Call
by Katy M VT
Summary: What if it really was their dad?


What if it really was their Dad?

Dean sat up while Sammy slept waiting for their dad to call him back. He sat staring at the phone and was ready to give up and go to bed himself when it vibrated. He picked it up quickly and went into the bathroom with it before it could wake up Sam.

"Dad?" he asked.

"It's me, Dean."

"How can I be sure?" Dean asked.

"You can't. Why did you do it, Dean?"

"Do what?" Dean asked.

"Sell your soul."

"I had to save Sam. Like you told me to," Dean said.

"I never wanted this," John answered. "You're my son and I love you."

"Well, it's too late now. I don't know what to do."

"Because if you try to break the deal Sam dies."

"How did you know that?" Dean asked.

"I know all about it, Dean. I was still in Hell when you made the deal, remember?"

That reminded Dean of something. "Where are you now?"

"Can't tell you that Kiddo. But I have the answer to your problem."

"What?" Dean asked. He couldn't believe there was an answer to his problem, much less that his dead father was going to reveal it to him.

"When I was in Hell, I found out there was a surefire way of negating any demon deal. You still get what you wanted, in your case Sam alive, but Hell doesn't get your soul."

"Are you sure?" Dean asked. This sounded too good to be true.

"You have to go back to where you made the deal and dig up your box. You know, the one you summoned the crossroads demon with. Then you burn the contents in a cemetery while saying an exorcism."

"That's it?" Dean asked. It sounded way too simple.

"That's it," his father confirmed.

"But if you learned this in Hell, the demons must know about it. Why wouldn't they just dig up all the boxes."

"Demons aren't allowed to touch the boxes. It's in the rules. You'd better hurry, before the demons find out what you're up to and try to stop you."

"Should I take Sammy?' Dean asked. It was weird. His father had been dead for almost two years, he calls up, and Dean immediately starts asking him for instructions.

"Probably," his father answered and the call disconnected.

"Sammy, get up," Dean shouted as he came out of the bathroom.

"Why? What's going on?" Sam asked sleepily.

"We gotta go," Dean said.

Sam got up and started getting dressed. "Where are we going?"

"South Dakota."

"Is Bobby OK?" Sam asked and started to get in gear.

"As far as I know. I know how to break the demon deal."

"How?" Sam asked, skeptically.

"We have to dig up my box and burn the contents."

Sam was still skeptical, but it sounded harmless enough.

"Where did you come up with this?"

"Dad told me," Dean answered.

They left the room and got into the car.

"Are you sure it was him?" Sam asked.

"Sam, will you just trust Dad for once?" Dean asked.

Sam sighed. Like he thought before, this was harmless enough. Even if it wasn't their dad, he didn't see any reason not to do it.

"OK," he said. He went back to sleep while Dean drove.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

"Sam, we're here," Dean said.

Sam looked around. It looked like any other crossroads, but he knew it wasn't. This was where Dean had sold his soul for him. He wished he hadn't done it, and he hoped that "Dad's" miracle cure would work.

"You know an exorcism by heart, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam said.

Dean was digging up his box. "Yahtzee," he said when he found it.

"Come on, I saw a cemetery about a mile back."

They piled back in the car and headed for the cemetery. "OK, say the exorcism when I light this up."

Dean lit the box on fire and Sam began the exorcism. When he finished the flame flared up and then died out. "I think it worked," Dean said.

"How can we tell?" Sam asked.

"We'll find out in a month," Dean said.

"I'd rather know now," Sam responded.

"Yeah, me, too. Maybe we should go back to Ohio and Dad will call again. Maybe he knows how to tell if it worked or not."

Just then Sam's phone rang. "It's that weird number," he said to Dean.

"It's Dad," Dean said excitedly.

"Hello?" Sam answered.

"Sam." He had to admit it sounded like his dad.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, Son, it's me."

"How do I know?"

"You boys are so alike. I'm sorry Sam."

"For what?" Sam asked.

"I lied to Dean. That exorcism broke the deal, but it broke it all the way. You're going to die."

"When?" Sam asked. He wasn't mad. This is how it should be.

"Midnight."

Sam checked his watch. It was 11:30.

"You know I love you, right, Sam?"

"Yeah, Dad. I know."

"I'll see you soon." With that the call was disconnected.

"What did he say?" Dean asked.

Sam wasn't going to tell Dean he was going to die in a half hour. It would be a very awkward half hour. He would like to see Bobby again, but knew there wasn't time. "You know what I like best about you, Dean?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"That you've always loved me and protected me, even when I took it for granted. Promise me you'll never do anything so stupid as to sell your soul for me again."

"I promise," Dean said. He didn't want to go through another year like that one. Besides, he would just keep an extra close watch on Sam and the opportunity should never present itself again.

"What do you like best about me?" Sam asked.

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Come on, you must like something. You sold your soul for me."

"I like your innocence," Dean answered, honestly. No matter how many bad things Sam saw or went through, he had always kept a certain amount of child-like innocence.

"Let's go sit on the car and watch the stars," Sam said. There was nothing more peaceful than that.

"What did Dad say to you?" Dean remembered to ask again.

"Just that he loves us," Sam said.

Dean could tell Sam was hiding something, but he would wait until tomorrow to press him about it. Sam seemed oddly content and he didn't want to pick a fight. Not the same night he broke his deal. It was time for celebrating.

"Let's go for a beer," Dean said.

"Later, OK? I just want to sit outside for a while," Sam said, knowing by the time they got to a bar, he would be dying.

He sat on the hood and leaned against the windshield. Dean did the same on the driver's side. Sam smiled as he realized that they kept their respective sides even on the outside of the car. He decided to take a chance and lean against Dean. He knew that Dean had held him while he died the first time. He didn't remember actually being dead, but he remembered the moments leading up to it. He had felt slightly better with Dean's physical touch. He only hoped Dean wouldn't pull away now.

Dean wasn't sure why Sam had decided to lean up against him, but he didn't protest. His weight felt good. They watched the stars silently for a while and then Sam groaned.

"Sammy? What's wrong?" Dean asked. He tried to pull away from Sam so he could look, but Sam grabbed his arm with all the force he could muster.

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"For what?"

"For turning my back to Jake," and then he closed his eyes and died.

"Sam? Sammy? No, no, no, no, no."

He held Sam for about an hour then he built a funeral pyre. Sam had known he was going to die and made him promise and Dean would keep his promise to Sam. He always kept his promises to Sam. But he would find some other way to bring him back. That was the promise he was making to himself.

The End


End file.
